Grinding and polishing apparatus



Jan. 2,

Filed March 8, 1949 A. E. HAMILTON GRINDING AND POLISHING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet l Jzz's f4 7' TOP/VEX' Jan. 2, 1951 A. E. HAMILTQN 2,536,444

GRINDING AND POLISHING APPARATUS Filed March 8, .1949v 4 sheets-sheet 2 Jan. 2,*1951 A. E. HAMILTON l2,536,444

GRVVINDING AND POLISHING APPARATUS "i1ed-March-8`, 1949 `4 sheets-sheet z? 44 FP50 f HA MIL ro/v.

MIL/M n Jan.42, 1951 n A. E. HAMILTON 2,536,444

GBIN'DING AND POLISHING AggAR-ATUS..

Filed March 8, 1949 K 4 sneetshee; 4

IN VEN TOR. 141. FRED E. HA MII. To/v @YM/MA@ Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRINDING AND PDLISHING APPARATUS Alfred E. Hamilton, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application March 8, 1949, Serial No. `80,148

7 Claims. l

My invention relates to grinding and polishing apparatus and a method that are particularly suitable for the surfacing of strip material or sheet material, including stainless steel, plastics, etc., and constitutes additions to and modifications or certain of the apparatus shown in my application Ser. No. 778,554, filed October 8, 1947 (Patent No. 2,481,588).

' In the grinding and polishing of strip material, there is in present machines only a `fairly small area ofl contact of the grinding drum with the strip, at the pass line below the drum or at the. pass line between upper and lower drums. The width of this contact area (in a direction longitudinally of the strip) can be varied slightly by the use of cushioned drums such as those of the pneumatic or soft rubber type, but the per- `missible increase in abrasive area at the pass .line is not very great, and furthermore, the adjusting of the drums to a condition where their peripheral surfaces are compressed radially somewhat may result in greater grinding effect by the lower drum than by the upper drum. In any case, the limited area of grinding contact at any given instant is not sufficient to remove or grind material from the surface of the strip as rapidly as may be desired, in some instances.

One object of my invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the strip-like work piece can be deflected at the vicinity of the pass line to eiect a greater or less partial wrap around position on the periphery of the surfacing drum, thus permitting 'of a. greater increase in material removal from the strip over what is possible where the effective width of contact at the pass line may perhaps be less than one inch. Obviously if the strip can be bent on the surface of the abrading drum for a distance of say three inches, much greater quantities of material can be removed.

Another object of my invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the strip may be dei'iected at the pass line between two surfacing drums into an extent of abrading area on one drum which may be greater or less than the abrading area at the other drum.

Another object ofl my invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the strip may be manipulated in such manner that it will be abraded by only Vone of a pair of surfacing drums that are contained within the same roll housing, where it is necessary to perform a surfacing operation on only one face of the strip.

Still another object ofA my invention to` pro,- vide apparatus of the character referred to wherein one of the surfacing drums can be shifted relative to the other drum in directionsgenerally tangential to and radially thereof in such manner as' to effect deflection of the strip from the normal pass line simply through adjustment of one drum.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown apparatus wherein abrading devices of the drum or roll type are employed, but it will be understood that certain features of the invention are applicable to structures wherein sanding belts extend around the drums and the work applied to the belt, at the drum, instead of having the abrasive material on the periphery of the drum.

Figure 1 is a front view of a roll stand with which my invention `may be employed; Fig. 2 is an end View thereof; Fig. 3 is a View showing the opposite end of the roll stand; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale of the apparatus for deilecting the strip at locations between a plurality of roll stands or at the entrance or exit sides of roll stands; Fig. 5 is a face View ofthe structure of Fig. 4; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are schematic views showing various ways in which a strip may be deflected from the normal pass line between two drums `in order to secure desired extent of contact area between the strip and the drums or to secure grinding engagement of the strip with only one drum.

A large part of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, '2. and 3 is similar to or the same as that shown and described in my said application, and therefore it need not be described in detail in the .present case. Also a plurality of roll stands and pairs of abrasive drums will usually be employed in the system, but only one roll stand is here shown. This stand is mounted upon a stationary base It., an intermediate reciprocable base Il and an upper vibratory base plate l2, the bases Il .and l2 being reciprocating and vibrated laterally of the path of strip travel by mechanism at i3 and M, as described in detail in my said application, in order to elect shifting of the surfacing drums t5 and l5 on the strip, for better uniformity 4of grinding, all as explained in my said application. The invention as hereinafter described however' will be equally applicable to roll stands that are mounted stationarily.

The shaft Vi of the drum l5 is supported in bearings. I8 and la that are each mounted in vertically-divided bearing blocks 2D while the shaft 2l of the drum l5 is eccentrically journaled in bearings 22 and 23 that are mounted in verticallydivided bearing blocks 24. The bearing blocks 20 and 241 are adjustable vertically relative to one another by screw threaded rods 25 to symmetrically adjust the rolls relative to the pass line. The housing members are also split along vertical lines as at 26 (Figs. 2 and 3) to permit separation thereof, for removal of the drums Yand their bearings. Those details Vare explained fully in my co-pending application.

The present structure differs from that of said application in that the drum shaft 2l is leccentrically mounted in its bearings, and the bearings are adjustable'about their axes in order to shift the top rollY horizontally and radially relative to the bottom roll l5. Each of the bearings 22 and 23 has a gear wheel 2l formed thereon as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, that meshes with a worm or spline gear 28. The worms 28 and 29 at the opposite ends of the shafts are rotated by placing wrenches on the lower ends of worm shafts 3l and 32 respectively. These shafts will, of coursefboth be turned the same distance -at each adjustment of the drum it and will, of

v course, change the position of the drum in both horizontal and vertical directions, relative to the drum l5. For example, the upper drum can be adjusted to Yvarious positions with respect to the lower drum as indicated schematically in Figs. 6, l and 8. The lower drum can be -adjusted in like manner, as indicated at 3S in Fig. 2.

There will be times when it will be necessary only to shift the drum i or the drum l5 to vary the area ef grinding engagement between the strip and the drums, but for greater deflections of the strip and greater area of grinding engagement, pass line guide rolls 33 and 3@ will be employed. Usually, these will be positioned between Y roll stands, but they can be also used in conjunction with a single roll stand.

The rolls 33 and 3e are journaled in rocker arms l5 and 35 respectively which are rigidly mounted on rock shafts (il and 38, journaled in aV housing or casing 39. The shaft 3l has a worm gear di) rigidly secured thereto and meshing with la worm fll'that is driven by a motor d2 through a drive chain 43. Similarly, the shaft 3S is rocked by a motor le that drives a sprocket chain e5. The motors i2 and t@ are of the reversible type, controlled by push buttons so that either the roll 33 or the roll 34 can be adjusted up or down as occasion may require.

When it is desired to effect greater area of contact between the strip l5 and the lower surfacing drum of a roll stand which is in'advance of that shown in Fig. 2,'the motor dll will be operated in a direction to move the roller Ell downwardly to thus effect a partial wrapping of the strip on the preceding lower drum. Similarly, if a wider .contact is desired at the upper drum, the motor e2 will be operated in a, direction to slightly raise the guide roller 33' and deflect'the strip so that it will engage a greater area circumferentially of the drum i6. Again, the screws 25 can be adjusted so as to separate the drums i5-! 6,'there by making it possible for the guide rollers 33-3'13 to be'adjusted in such manner that only the upper or lower faces of the strip will be surfaced in that it can be held against only one ofthe drums.

Referring now to the schematic View of Fig. 6, the drums iii and i5 and pairs ofV deilecting rolls de i5 and au and 5i are relatively positioned in such manner that both sides of a strip are being ground. These pairs of deflector rolls can be adjusted in any suitable manner by hand screws or by motors.

linY Fig. '7, I show the deflector'rolls so positioned that only the upper surface of theV strip 46 is being ground. While in Fig. 8, I show an arrangement wherein the lower surface of the strip is being ground more rapidly or with greater force than the upper surface thereof. Obviously various variations in this matter of deflecting the strip can be employed to secure greater or lesser grinding force on the upper side ofthe strip relative to the lower side thereof, or to selectively grind either the upper or lower surface of the strip with a desired degree of rapidity, depending upon the extent of the deflection and therefore the grinding area. Y

The strip will be drawn past the drums in any suitable manner, as by the use of Vmotor-driven coilers and uncoilers, such as the coiler indicated j Y justed positions.

While the claims referto .drums, it will be understood that this term contemplates grinding drums or wheels that carry the abrasive or nishing material directly on their peripheries, Y

as well as to rolls or drums around the peripheries of which an abrasive or nishing belt is passed.

I claim as my invention; Y

l. Grinding apparatus comprising a plurality of pairs of rotatable drums having surfacing material on their peripheries and arrangedA .to form a pass line for strip material and the like, a roll stand for each pair of drums, means for advancing a strip between the pairs of drums successively, a pair of defiecting rollers positioned between the roll stands, means for adjusting one of said rollers to .guide the strip to a plane above the normal pass line, and means for independently adjusting-the other roller to deflect the strip to a plane below the normal pass line'.

2. Grinding apparatusr comprising a pair of rotatable drums having surfacing material on their peripheries and cooperating to form a roll pass, `for strip-like material that is given traveling movement between the drums, means for adjusting the drums relative to one another in directions perpendicular to the normal pass line, and means for adjusting one of the drums relative to the other, in directions generally radial of and tangentially of the other drum.

v3. Grinding apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable drums havingY surfacing material on their peripheries and adapted to operate upon the upper and lower surfaces of strip material passed between them in a straight line, and means for adjusting the position of one of the drums relative to the other drum in directions generally radial and tangential thereto.

4. Grinding apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable drums having surfacing material on their peripheries and adapted to operate upon the upper and lower surfaces of strip Vmaterial passed between them in a straight line, and

means forr adjusting the position of Vone of theV drums relative to the other drum in'directions generallv radial and tangential thereto, the saidY adjusting means comprising 'rotatably adjustdrum is eccentrically mounted.

5. Grinding apparatus comprising a pair of rotatable drums Vhaving surfacing material on their peripheries and adapted to operate upon the upper and lower surfaces of strip material passedj.h J between them in a straight line, means for adg` justing the position of one of the drums relativel to the other drum in directions generally radial.' Q and tangential thereto, the said adjusting means:

comprising rotatably adjustable bearings in which a shaft for the adjustable drum is eccen`k l10 trically mounted, and a worm gear device for rotatably adjusting the bearings.

6. Grinding apparatus comprising a pair of;

rotatable drums having surfacing material ontheir peripheries and adapted to operate upon; 1g the upper and lower surfaces of strip material f 7. Grinding apparatus comprising a pair 05,25

rotatable druinshaving surfacing material on` their peripheries and normally respectively having surfacing engagement with the upper and lower surfaces of strip material that is passed between the drums, a pair of guide rollers positioned adjacent to the roll stand and respectively movable into position against the upper and lower surfaces of the strip material, and means for adjusting the guide rollers in directions generally perpendicular to the path of travel of the material, to deect the material from a straight line path of travel between the drums, the said means comprising a pair of rocker arms for supporting each roller and worm gear devices for rocking said arms to adjusted positions.

ALI'I'RED E. HAMILTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date y 743,911 Muller Nov. 10, 1903 1,948,128 Poeggel Feb. 20, 1934 2,297,976 Nachtman Oct. 6, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 465,080 Germany Sept. 7, 1928 

